With the number of pokies and venues in Dunedin in decline, the Dunedin City Council liquor licensing and projects officer has recommended the council retain its gambling policy as part of a three-year review.
Mr Mechen said while he could understand why the Problem Gambling Foundation was lobbying for a sinking-lid policy for the city, evidence did not support a change.
"Why fix something that's not broken?"
Since October 2001, the number of pokie venues had declined from just over 70 to just under 50 by April this year.
During the same period, the number of pokies, which peaked at more than 800 in 2005, declined from 700 to 600.
This decline reflected what what has happened at a national level, he said.
Non-casino gaming machine expenditure in New Zealand for the 12 months to June 30 was $889 million, compared with $938.3 million the previous year, the lowest turnover since 2001-02.
But research showed accessibility to venues, not the number of venues, was the main problem facing problem gamblers, he said.
Dunedin already prohibited new venues in residential area, and it was unlikely new venues would open in the central city.
So why not introduce a sinking-lid policy, effectively prohibiting any new sites, as a safeguard?
Mr Mechen said it was up to the market to decide what Dunedin needed, and the continual decline in the number of pokies and venues showed the council's policy was the correct one.
However, Problem Gambling Foundation chief executive Graeme Ramsey disagrees, likening the machines to the "crack cocaine of gambling".
"Pokie machines are a dangerous product and as a community we are better off without them."
Mr Ramsey said Dunedin should follow the examples of councils in Auckland, Manukau, Waitakere and Christchurch and adopt a sinking-lid policy to ensure the number of poker machines did not increase.
"The key question the Dunedin community should be asking is do we want more pokies?"
As of yesterday, the council had received five submissions, one for a sinking-lid policy and four for retaining the present policy.
Submissions close on November 6.
• DUNEDIN STATISTICS
As of September 30, Dunedin had 49 venues and 605 gaming machines.
From July to September, $4,916,615 was spent on Dunedin gaming machines, a decline of $179,113 compared with the previous quarter.
SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR
